I’ve been traveling a lot recently. Everything has been wonderful, but I’ll have to say that it feels good to get back to a regular schedule!

Summer produce—like tomatoes, corn, melons, berries, peppers and stone fruit—is in full swing right now, fueling my inspiration in the kitchen. On hot evenings with ceiling fans whirring about, I’ve been throwing together simple dinners that require minimal effort and oven time like this Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho recipe. The base of this chilled soup is made of whole peeled tomatoes and juicy sweet watermelon. The two are blended up with celery, onion, garlic, basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil and slices of French bread. All of these ingredients are raw, so the only kitchen work here is chopping and blending! Transfer the soup to the fridge and let chill until ready to serve.

Hued a vibrant shade of red-orange, this Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho is finished with crunchy croutons, fresh basil leaves, olive oil and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Each spoonful is fresh and light. You’ll be surprised at how much flavor this soup packs even though none of the ingredients were cooked with heat! Enjoy this as is for lunch or pair with an effortless salad for dinner. Continue reading for the recipe.

Summer is just a few weeks away, and I am ready for warm evenings and al fresco grilled dinners perfumed by the smell of smoldering mesquite charcoal and sweet, floral star jasmine. Perfect for a summer evening, today’s recipe for Sweet Tea Pork Chops with Grilled Peaches is prepared in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.

Start with two double-cut pork chops brining in an aromatic mixture of Gold Peak ® Sweet Tea , onion, garlic, thyme, bay lemon and black peppercorns. The brine will help keep the pork juicy while it cooks on the grill. Next, cook the chops on the grill over high heat until golden and charred in spots. Finish them off over indirect heat until fully cooked through. The contrast of the charred exterior to the juicy, tender pork within is so delicious.

I’ve thrown some peaches into the mix to complement the smoky, grilled pork, and they couldn’t be easier to make! Toss quartered, ripe peaches with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper, then transfer to a foil pouch. The peaches cook in the foil over high heat until tender. They’re sweet and tart with just a hint of smoke. Continue reading for the recipe.

June is national LGBT Pride Month, and today I’m kicking off celebrations with Ralphs and this Rainbow Watermelon Pizza.

As you may know, pizza is one of my favorite things. This Watermelon Pizza is far from traditional, but it’s super tasty, healthy and so, so pretty. The crust here is made of wedges of juicy, ripe watermelon, the cheese is a luscious mix of mascarpone and Greek yogurt, and the toppings are a colorful array of sweet, summer produce. Berries, nectarines, kiwis, grapes and tomatoes all arranged to form a vibrant rainbow. This simple dessert would be perfect for any summer bash, but especially fitting for a colorful LGBT Pride celebration. Continue reading for the recipe plus more details on Ralphs LGBT Pride support!

We make waffles frequently at our house, so I’m always experimenting with new flavors. Recently I shared this spring cocktail recipe made with a strawberry rhubarb syrup, and while recipe testing, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t this syrup be perfect for breakfast too?!” After a little additional tweaking and testing, I ended up with these Rhubarb Waffles with Lemon Whipped Cream.

The base here is a simple buttermilk waffle batter infused with butter and vanilla. Sliced rhubarb is then cooked briefly in a mix of sugar and water. The resulting poached rhubarb is folded into the waffle batter, and the remaining syrup is cooked down a little further until it takes on a maple syrup-like consistency. This bubble gum-colored syrup gets drizzled over the golden waffles instead of maple syrup to add more rhubarb flavor. The dish is finished with airy dollops of lemon-spiked whipped cream and a light dusting of lemon zest. With each bite, you’ll get a little sweet and a little tang followed by the buttery richness of the waffles. So. Darn. Tasty. Continue reading for the recipe.